Vandalproof vent protector



Jan. 16, 1968 H. STONEMAN ETAL VANDALPROOF VENT PROTECTOR Filed April 26, 1965 ,4 AIM flrraelvsya /A/l/EA/ TORS H/ZFOLD S ONE/WAN EARL. L. MORRIS I GE'OEGE LEE CURT/CE United States Patent 3,363,538 VANDALPROOF VENT PROTECTOR Harold Stoneman, 6712 Shenandoah, Los Angeles, Calif.

90056; Earl L. Morris, Whittier, and George Lee Curtice, Hacienda Heights, Calif.; said Morris and said Curtice assignors to said Stoneman Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,922 11 Claims. (CI. 9866) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vent protector including a spider element adapted to be connected to a vent pipe and an inverted bowlshaped hood having annularly spaced vent openings and a series of individual guard members cooperating with the vent openings to prevent foreign objects from being forced through the vent openings without impairing outward flow of fluids through the vent openings.

This invention pertains to an improved vent protector adapted to be easily installed over the end of any vent associated with heating systems, plumbing systems, ovens, furnaces or the like, such end of the vent being ordinarily positioned above a roof and open to the atmosphere and the elements.

Substantially, all building codes require that the plumbing systems and equipment of a dwelling or other structure which includes sinks, bathroom fixtures, heating and ventilating equipment, hot water heaters, ovens or the like be connected to and terminate in a vent open to the atmosphere, at a suitable height above the roof, and equipped with some means for preventing debris from entering the end of the pipe, although the latter requirement is not obligatory by many building codes. Practical experience dictates that every vent (domestic and industrial) be equipped with a hood or protector which affords some degree of resistance to the introduction of foreign objects into the open end of a vent pipe. It has been found by bitter experience that rain water can often blow into a vent pipe and cause stoppages, that dirt and debris can enter into an open end of a vent pipe, and that vandals often introduce foreign objects such as sticks, stones, balls and other foreign matter into an open vent (or one equipped with an inadequate protector) thereby causing dangerous stoppages, flooding of ceilings and floors within the building and often causing dangerous accumulations of gases. Moreover, most prior protectors and methods of associating the protector with the flashing usually employed do not involve means to compensate for differences in expansion of the vent pipe and the rest of the building.

The present invention is directed to an improved vent protector which is vandalproof, eliminates all of the disadvantages referred to hereinabove and compensates for expansion and contraction of the vent pipe (or the sagging of a roof through which such vent pipe extends) without breaking the seal between flashing and the vent pipe. Moreover, the construction described hereinafter is neat in appearance, can be installed with great facility, and can be used with pipe of different diameters at varying heights above a roof.

An object of the present invention therefore is to provide and describe a vent protector which cannot be clogged or blocked by vandals.

Another object of the present invention is to describe and provide a vandalproof vent protector which prevents rain from dripping between the vent and the flashing or into the vent.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a vandalproof vent protector which affords ice ready exit of gases from a vent without impeding the flow of such gases and without trapping gases within the protector or the vent.

A still further object is to disclose and provide a simple, economically installable and efficient vent protector capable of being employed with various types of fiashings and with extension sleeves so as to position the protector at any desired height above the flashing or above a roof line.

These and various other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of an exemplary form which illustrates the concepts herein disclosed. In such description reference will be had to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the protector constructed in accordance with the concepts of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away along the section line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation on a reduced scale illustrating a modification involving an extension sleeve whereby the protector may be positioned at a considerable height above a roof.

The simplified form of invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 generally comprises two cooperating elements or portions, namely, a spider body generally indicated at 10 and a hood indicated at 20. The spider body 10 is axially ported or provided with a central bore 11 which may be threaded so as to receive the end of a vent pipe. The body also carries radially extending spider arms such as the arms 12 and 12; four radially extending arms or three arms at angles of to each other may be used. The spider body may include a downwardly extending skirt or counter-flashing 13. This skirt or counter-flashing may be provided with an enlarged inwardly tapering bore 14 which provides a space adapted to receive end portions of flashing and to shield the same against the elements. In the figure a vent pipe is indicated in phantom lines at 1 and a tapering flashing extending into the space between the pipe and the bore 14 of the skirt 13 is indicated at 2.

As shown in the drawings, the vandalproof hood is preferably bowl-shaped (of generally arched section) and is connected to and supported by the outer end portions of the spider arms 12, 12' and the like in an inverted position. The outer end of each spider arm may be provided with a stepped shoulder, such as is indicated at 15, adapted to support and center the hood 20 above the spider body. The ends of the arms may be tapped, aligned holes may be drilled and tapped in the edge portions of the bow 20 and the hood or protector 20 may then be connected to the arms as by set screws 21.

The inner or lower surface 22 of the hood is provided with means for positively preventing a vent pipe from contacting the surface 22 and thereby trapping gas within the vent pipe. Such means may include one or more locating ribs such as 23, 23' and 23", extending downwardly from the central portion of the surface 22, said ribs being adapted to limit upward movement of a vent pipe by contacting edge portions of the pipe. These locating ribs 23, 23' and 23 preferably lie in planes at 120 to each other and are spaced from each other thereby providing adequate room between such locating ribs for passage of gases even though the end of a vent pipe is in contact therewith. At the same time such locating ribs cooperate with other elements hereinafter described in preventing the insertion of objects through various vent openings in the protective hood.

In the form of device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the protective hood 20 is also provided with a series of circumferentially spaced, guard members 25, 26 and 27 and the like, these guard members extending downwardly from the lower surface 22 of the hood 20. It is to be noted that these guard members 25-27 are shorter than the locating ribs 23 and 23' and are preferably arranged in a circle of greater diameter than the bore or port 11 of the spider body. In most instances the diameter of the circle in which the guard members are positioned is slightly greater than the diameter of the spider body at its neck.

Radially outward from the arrangement of guard members, the protective hood 2% is provided with a series of vent openings such as 35, 36, 37 and the like. These vent openings are angularly displaced with respect to the spaces between adjacent guard members; in other words, the vent opening 35 is preferably in radial alignment with the guard member 25, the vent opening 36 is in radial alignment with the guard member 26, etc. As shown best in FIG. 2, the illustrated vent openings 35, 36, 37 and the like extend radially inwardly to essentially the radially outward surfaces of the guard members 25, 26, 27 and the like. The openings are preferably not located in radial alignment with the space between the guard members since in this latter position a foreign object could be introduced to the vicinity of the bore 11. In accordance with the arrangement illustrated and described as being preferable, no foreign object can be introduced into the bore 11. Moreover, it will be noted that the vent openings 35, 36, 37 and the like, in combination with the spaces between the spider arms 12, 12 and the like afford a considerable amount of space for the passage of gases thereby insuring the proper operation of the vent and its proper protection. It is also to be noted that any rain water falling upon the hood and entering through the vent openings 35 and the like will collect upon the guard members 25 and drip therefrom in a zone displaced outwardly from the end of the vent pipe and the axial port through the spider body 10, thereby again preventing water from entering the vent pipe.

Similarly, the use of the counter-flashing or skirt 13 is of importance in that the enlarged bore 14 affords an adequate recess for the reception of flashing, lead and oakum packing or preferably a waterproofing compound or elastomer containing adequate fillers, having good adhesion and remaining elastic over a Wide range .of temperatures and prolonged aging. This counter-flashing 13 being downwardly directed protects whatever packing material or waterproofing compound is used in attaching the flashing to the vent pipe and also permits the entire vent pipe to move with respect to the flashing without uncovering the upper edge of the flashing and permitting water to thereby enter between the flashing and the vent pipe on to the unprotected surface of a roof. A preferred form of roof flashing with a reinforced conical boot which permits the flashing to be employed on roofs intersecting the axis of the pipe at different angles may also be used.

The modification illustrated in FIG. 3 employs a hood and spider body very similar to that described heretofore. In this modification, however, the counterflashing sleeve is a separate element 40 which is provided with a double thread on its inner bore and is adapted to be connected to :an extension of the vent pipe so as to permit the entire protective hood to be positioned at a desired height above the end of the main vent line l.

The bore in the spider body 10 is internally threaded :and receives the upper end of vent extension 39. The lower end of the extension 39 threadably engages the threads 41 cut into the upper portion of the bore 41 of sleeve 40, while the vent pipe 1 can engage threads formed in the lower portion of the bore. Since sleeve 40 carries a downwardly extending counter-flashing skirt 42 (which has an inner diameter greater than the bore 41) any flashing 2 used around vent pipe 1 can be caulked under such skirt 42 to make the installation completely leakproof. The use of threaded pipe is preferred, but when the bores in the spider 10 and sleeve 40 are unthreaded, set screws or even lead and oakum can be used to hold the elements in their proper relation.

It is to be noted that although the hood 20 is generally bowl-shaped and is held in an inverted position, it is not hemispherical, but instead has a flat aspect, with the central portion of the hood substantially flat and imperforate. The vent openings such as 35, 36, 37 do not overlie a vertical extension of the vent pipe, but are laterally displaced therefrom and an object cannot be introduced through such vent openings into the vent pipe. The low aspect of the hood and its downwardly extending guard members also prevent the introduction of balls and other objects from below (through spaces between spider arms) and prevent birds from building nests within the hood. The hood and its various guard members, vent openings, etc., as well as the spider body may be readily cast of metal, and requires but little simple finishing. It is adaptable for use on vents on all buildings, whether industrial or domestic, and is resistant to noxious fumes as well as normal combustion and waste gases.

Although the limiting rib or ribs 23 can be eliminated, it is desirable to use them, particularly when the bore 11 is not threaded for engagement with a vent pipe and other connecting means such as set screws or a bolt through the spider body are employed to make such connection. All modifications coming within the appended claims are embraced thereby.

We claim:

1. A protector for vent outlets comprising: an axially ported spider body adapted to receive the end of a vent pipe, said body including a downwardly extending skirt providing a counter-flashing with a larger bore than the port in the body, said enlarged bore being adapted to receive end portions of flashing and shield the same against the elements; radially extending spider arms carried by the spider body; and a vandalproof, bowl-shaped hood connected to and supported in inverted position by the outer end portions of said spider arms, said hood including an inner lower surface having a plurality of locating ribs extending downwardly from a central portion of said surface, said ribs being adapted to limit upward movement of a vent pipe in the port of the spider body; a series of spaced circularly arranged guard members extending downwardly from said lower surface, said guard members being shorter than said ribs; and a series of vent openings in said hood outwardly of said guard members.

2. A protector for vent outlets as stated in claim 1, wherein the guard members are arranged in a circle of greater diameter than the port in said spider, whereby rain entering through said vent openings in the hood is caused to drip from said members in a Zone disposed outwardly of the axial port in said spider body.

3. A protector for vent outlets as stated in claim 2, wherein each vent opening of the series of vent openings is angularly displaced with respect to the space between adjacent guard members, whereby said guard members cooperate with said openings in resisting the passage of foreign objects through said hood into the axial portion of the hood and spider body.

4. A protector for vent outlets as stated in claim 1, wherein the end portion of each spider arm is provided with a stepped shoulder to support and center the hood above the spider body.

5. A protector for vent outlets comprising: a spider body provided with an axial port adapted to receive the end of a vent pipe, and radially extending spider arms carried by the spider body; and a vandalproof, bowl-shaped hood connected to and supported in inverted position by the outer end portions of said spider arms, said hood including an inner lower surface having a plurality of locating ribs extending downwardly from a central portion of said lower surface, said ribs being adapted to limit upward movement of a vent pipe, a series of spaced, circularly arranged guard members extending downwardly from said lower surface, said guard members being shorter than said ribs and arranged in a circle of greater try of foreign objects.

7. A protector for vent outlets as stated in claim 5, wherein the end portion of each spider arm is provided with a stepped shoulder to support and center the hood above the spider body, and means for firmly connecting said hood to said spider arms.

8. A protector for vent outlets as stated in claim 5, wherein the axial bore of the spider body is internally threaded to threadedly receive an extension of a vent pipe; a sleeve coupling member having an internally threaded bore, said sleeve including a downwardly extending counter-flashing skirt having an enlarged unthreaded bore adapted to receive end portions of flashing and shield the same against the elements; a vent pipe extension adapted to be threadedly connected to said spider body and the upper threaded bore portion of said sleeve, a lower portion of the threaded bore of said sleeve being adapted to be threadedly connected to a vent pipe.

9. A vandalproof protector hood for positioning above a vent outlet, said hood being bowl-shaped, having an inner, lower surface and adapted for use in an inverted position above an open end of a vent pipe, the central portion of said hood being imperforate, virtually flat and adapted to overlie the open end of a vent pipe; a series of circumferentially spaced individual guard members extending downwardly from the inner, lower surface of said hood and positioned to define spaces between adjacent guard members, and a series of vent openings in said hood outwardly of said guard members, wherein said openings cooperate with said guard members to resist forcible entry of foreign objects when said hood is associated with a vent pipe.

10. A vandalproof protector hood as stated in claim 9, wherein each vent opening in said hood has a longitudinal axis extending radially and downwardly, and each such vent opening is angularly displaced with respect to a space between adjacent guard members.

11. A vandalproof protector hood as stated in claim 9, including a locating rib extending downwardly from a central portion of the inner lower surface of the hood, such locating rib being longer than said guard members and adapted to limit movement of a vent pipe into contact with the inner surface of the hood.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,522 1/1891 Dellinger 98122 2,277,982 3/ 1942 Hosbein 9883 X 2,766,677 10/1956 Silverman 98-66 X 2,781,716 2/1957 Moran 98-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 310,993 5/1929 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner. 

